Vacuum sealed container



April 1939- J. E. HARWOOD, JR

VACUUM SEALED CONTAINER Filed Jan. 11, 1937 c/kozs Patented Apr. 4, 1939 UNITED STATES VACUUM SEALED CONTAINER James E. Harwood,

In, Memphis, Tenn.

Application January 11, 1937, Serial No. 119,904

2 Claims.

This invention relates to containers which are sealed by the exhaustion of air therefrom, and has particular reference to a container of this sort, having two end covers, both adapted to be 5 so sealed, and an additional non-sealing end, one of the end covers being adapted to be destroyed in effecting the opening of the container, and the other of said covers adapted to be frictionally, but removably retained, the latter cover thereafter being adapted to cooperate with said non-sealing end to form a closed container.

The objects of the invention are:

To make a container of simple construction, readily adapted for manufacture, which will be readily sealed by the exhaustion of air therefrom; and

Further, to make a container of this kind which is provided with two sealing covers, and an additional end closure adapted for the retention of the container contents, one end of said sealing covers being adapted to serve after breaking of said seal, as a removable cover adapted to cooperate with said ,end to effect a closed container.

The means by which the foregoing and other objects are accomplished will readily be understood from the following specification, on reference to the accompanying drawing, in which,

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of the container; and

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of a container of different shape, with the two sealing covers shifted to the opposite ends of the container from that shown in Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4 are fragmentary sectional elevations showing variations of the container wall construction.

Referring now to the drawing in which the various parts are designated by numerals, and referring particularly to Fig. 1, I is the barrel of a container, this barrel being of any desired cross-section, such as cylindrical, oval, rectangular, or polygonal, and is ordinarily formed of a single strip of thin metal, shaped to the desired form, with its end edges brought together and seamed or soldered into an air-tight joint H. The two ends of the barrel preferably are inwardly curled, or folded to form end flanges or ledges l2 and I3 having smooth end surfaces, these end flanges preferably being identical. Disposed within the barrel of the container is a bottom M, which is supported on the bottom flange l2. This bottom may be metal, paper or other material, and fits sufficiently close as to be retained by friction, and as to form a bottom for the retention of the contents of the retainer, but not inherently an air-tight or sealed closure.

I5 is an end cover, forming a second or sealing bottom. This cover has a flanged edge portion l6, conforming in shape to the external shape of the container and adapted to engage such container surface frictionally, but removably. This edge portion of the cover is preferably connected to the central portion by a peripherally bulged portion l1, adapted to serve as a grip for the removal or replacement of the cover. The central portion l5 of the cover is preferably also provided with an inwardly extending crimp l8, conforming in contour with the cross-section of the container, but lying inward therefrom. This crimp and the bulged portion I! define a shallow groove, which is adapted to retain a ring IQ of sealing material, such as soft rubber.

20 is a cover for the opposite end of the container, this cover having an inwardly crimped portion 2| and a shallow flanged edge 22, defining a groove adapted to retain a sealing ring 23, likewise of soft rubber. Preferably the grooves formed in the covers l5 and 20 are respectively substantially centered over the inwardly turned flanges I 2 and I 3, this providing in the case of the cover 29 an over-hanging edge, the flange 22, adapted to be readily engaged as by an ordinary bottle opener 24, here indicated by dotted lines.

In Fig. 2 the same construction is shown, the container being of different relative proportions.

The cover I5A, however, is here shown on and effecting the sealing of, the otherwise open end of the container, for which end it later is to serve as a frictionally retained closure, and the cover 20A is shown cooperating with the bottom MA, to effect the sealing of that end. The bottom MA is here shown with a flanged edge portion 14B, as thus distinguished from the disk bottom [4 first shown, and like the bottom I4 may be frictionally retained against its sealing flange I2A. If it be desired indentations 25 may be formed in the container wall In to retain the bottom [4 against the flange l2, and the same means may be used with the bottom HA.

In Fig. 3 the container wall IGB is shown without flange at the top, a construction particularly suitable in glass or porcelain, and with an internal disk or ledge 26 adjacent to the bottom. In Fig. 4 the same smooth top edge is shown and a flange or edge 2! extending laterally inward at the bottom. In some cases also it may be possible to use an uninterrupted interior wall surface, particularly as with a content bottom of the MA type.

It will be understood that the body of the container may be of glass or other material instead of metal, and otherwise also the materials are such as it may be found desirable to use.

What I claim is:

1. A container adapted to be vacuum sealed at both ends, including a barrel open at both ends and having an interior ledge adjacent one end, a non-sealing content support, seated on said ledge, and a pair of covers independent of said support adapted to be seated on and sealed solely by vacuum to the opposite ends of said barrel, one

of said covers being peripherally flanged to provide an edge portion adapted to be frictionally engaged with the end of the said barrel, opposite said support-closed end, whereby said cover may be used as a frictionally retained closure after said vacuum is broken.

2. A container adapted for vacuum sealing at both ends, including a barrel open at both ends, and having an interior ledge adjacent one end, a non-sealing content support seated on said ledge, a pair of covers independent of said content support adapted to be seated on and sealed solely by vacuum to the opposite ends of said barrel, one of said covers projecting laterally beyond said barrel to form an over-hanging ledge portion, and the other of said covers being flanged to form an edge portion adapted to be frictionally engaged With the end of said barrel opposite said supportclosed end, whereby subsequent to breaking of said vacuum, said flanged cover may be used as a closure.

JAMES E. HARWOOD, JR. 

